Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to vehicle steering devices and in particular to a new and useful height-adjustable steering column for motor vehicles.
A similar steering column is known from DE-PS No. 33 18 935. The coupling member for transmission of the motor drive forces to the jacket tube consists, according to this, of a rackrail disposed on the circumference of the jacket tube which is movable in the housing and in which there engages a worm gear disposed axis-parallel thereto, for the penetration of which a cutout is provided in the housing. The worm gear as well as the drive motor are mounted or secured on the outside of the housing. Depending on the set direction of rotation of the drive motor, therefore, the steering column is retractable or extendible in a telescope fashion. The internally mounted steering spindle follows these movements because it, too, has telescoping parts, of which one is mounted non-displaceable in axial directions in the jacket tube and one is rotatable but axially non-displaceable on the body side.